Would You Rid an Elf Bike?

Solar Powered and Compact

A Kickstarter campaign has created the "ELF Bike" which is a very small vehicle that some have compared to a Flintstones car because it can be foot powered in addition to solar charging capabilities.

""It looks like a Smart Car"

The elf may not be as fast as a car, but for many people in urban environments and other areas, it is still quicker than walking and about the same as riding in a bicycle. It can go thirty miles per hour when bike power is added to electric power, or it can go 20mph on electric power alone, for when you want to rest your legs awhile and enjoy the sense of your own self-satisfaction, which only costs $5,000.

Alleged LeCar Influence

Some in the media have noted the influence of the French LeCar, which was a briefly popular vehicle in the late 1970s and early 1980s, similar to the Yugo, and sold by Renault. The car was very small, and designed to sell during a gas crisis that saw long lines at gasoline pumps during the Carter administration. The size is definitely similar, but the price tag appears to be much smaller. The ELF, however, only weighs 140 pounds and is made in America, so the factory workers probably spend more than 2 hours a day putting one together.

Organic Transit, the manufacturer of the ELF bicycle, says they are making about one vehicle per day and are working on streamlining the production of the Green vehicle designed to cut carbon emissions and usher in a new era of environmentally friendly living. Unfortunately, local and city governments have not caught up with the design, so it is not allowed on many places where bicycles, pedestrians, and other vehicles are allowed. Popular demand, however, is sure to make these smart bikes into an exception to rules that would otherwise thwart the vehicle's acceptance.

Naturally, the first time we heard about ELF bicycles, we thought that maybe Legolas had a new way of getting around Middle Earth, perhaps on some kind of mountain bike that has a lantern on the front for when you spend 3 days riding through the tunnels of Moria. There would have to be some kind of quiver on the handlebars so he could grab at arrows while he was slaloming in between the oliphaunts and orc armies looking for a good target. Specifications for such an ELF bike would have to include big tires for offroad use, heavy duty shocks (despite the overall lightness and nimble nature of elves) and balancing so elves could presumably stand on the seat while riding and directing fire at various sources. No mountain passes, heavily wooded forests, or hilly terrain should be able to prevent the appointed rounds of such handy people. Furthermore, the unknowable nature of Grey Havens topography would require a bicycle that is simultaneously waterproof and dust resistant, and the warranty would have to cover a few thousand years given the age of these folk. Furthermore, while Galadriel would prefer a lady's touring bike with a basket for various goodies, Elrond would doubtless seek a more dignified model with room for Agent Smith's sunglasses.